Internal combustion engine



Oct. 22, 1940.I W R GRISWQLD 2,218,575

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 10, 1933 Patented Oct. 22, 1940 INTERNAL COlWBUSTION ENGINE Walter R. Griswold, Detroit, Mich., assigner to Packard Motor Car Company, Detroit, Mich., .a corporation of Michigan Application July 140,v 1933, 'Serial No. 679,621

11 Claimsf The conventional valve mechanism includes poppet valves and a' cam shaft .for operating them. When the Valve isv closed there should preferably be clearance somewhere between the cam shaft and the valve stem, or at least there should be no ridingl of the valve stem on the cam shaft because in that case the Valve would not be fully closed. Leakage would soon cause burning of the valve or loss of power due to lack of compression. n v y But if there is too much clearance the valve operating mechanism will be noisy due to the clearance being taken up suddenly. I 2 Most engines provide for adjustment between the cam shaft and the valve stem so that a minimum of clearance may be pro-vided for, but when this adjustment is made at one temperature of the engine the clearance will increase or decrease as the engine becomes hotter or coolsoff and then a noisy mechanism results or the valves will f be caused to ride. l

In some cases elaborate mechanisms have been provided for automatically taking upthis valve "5 mechanism clearance Without at the same time causing the valves to ride and the present invention is concerned with this problem. An object is to provide such automatic take-up mechanism in simple form, in-compact arrangement, and with the thought of insuring automatic adjustment over a fairly wide range.

In some of the prior art devices for automatic take-ups spring actuated cams have been used and while the spring roperation of the cam promptly takes up the clearance difficulties have been experienced in effecting retraction of the cam to prevent valve riding.i It is one of the objects of the present invention to remedy this diflicultyV and `to provide a simple cam mechanism 50 that will not only take up clearance but will also automatically retract when it is necessary to do so in the operation of the mechanism.

Other objects of the invention will appear from y the following description taken in connection with the drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View of an internal combustion engine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on. the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

(Cl. 12S- 90) Fig. 3 .isan enlarged sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; y

Fig. 4 is a rsectional viewlsub'stantially on the line 4 4 o-f Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 4 with the in a different position, and

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective View of two of the co-operating parts ofthe adjusting device. Referring to the drawing, IB represents the crank case of `an internal combustion engine upon which is mounted a cylinder structure I I. A piston I2 is arrangedvwithin the cylinder and a passage 'i3 communicates withthe combustion space I4 above the piston. The passage I3 may be either the ,inlet or exhaust passage of the engine.v

'I'he port I5 of the passage I3 into the cylinder combustion chamber is closed by a valve IB mounted in a bushingr II and yieldingly held in closed position by a coil spring I8, the latter acting between a portion `of the cylinder structure and an abutment kI9 on the stem 2B of the valve. Y

There is a cam shaft 23 -of usual form mounted in the crank case Id, oneof the cam-.lobes 24 being shown yin Fig. l and in some of the other figures. Mounted between the cam shaft and the valve stem 2% are the elements for voperating the valve as the cam shaft rotates. One of these elements is a rocker arm 25 and the other is a push rod 26 mounted in a sleeve 21 in the crank case. This push rod or may not be an integral part of the valve stem 20 but it is usually non-integral and may be `adjustable in length to take up larger' tolerances in manufacture. The rocker arm 25 has a roller 28 vwhich contacts with the cam shaft and it is also preferably provided with a hardened steel bearing block 29 which contacts with the lower end of the valve stem or the push rod 26. The l arm extends through an opening 3E] in the crank case and is supported in a casing 33 which forms a cover for the opening 35 and is secured to the crank case as by bolts'ul.r The casing `or cover 33 thereby becomes an integral part of the crank case for supporting purposes, and these parts support the cam shaft and the rocker arm. The rocker arm 25 is mounted to rock about its support so that as the cam lobe 24 rotates under the roller 28 the rocker arm will rock and lift the valve I6 against the action of the spring -I8. The roller 28 will then roll down the opposite side of thelobe 24 and the valve will close.

From the above it will be 'seen that if the supported end of the rocker arm 25 is shifted in a generally vertical direction downwardly it vwill tend to close any clearance there may be beparts tween the opposite end ofthe rocker arm, or the bearingblock'29, and the push rod 26, or if the supported end moves upwardly, it will tend to increase that clearance. So in this invention the rocker arm 25 is so supported that its supported end may be thus adjusted for clearance take-up. Of course this support also provides for the rocking action of the rock shaft in the operation of the valve mechanism.

For thus supporting the rocker arm a stationary rod or pin 35 is mounted in the casing 33, this rod being shown as parallel to the cam shaft 23. The supported end of the rocker arm 25 is enlarged as at 35 and is provided with a cylindrical bearing member 31 through which latter member the supporting rod or pin 35 extends. Usually the diametral clearance between the pin 35 and the bearing member 31 would be a half thousandth of an inch or thereabouts but in the present invention this clearance is made at least two thousandths but preferably not more than ve thousandths of an inch as indicated in Fig. 2 on the drawing. This clearance permits a bodily movement, or endwise movement, of the rocker arm 25 in the operation of the valve mechanism. Thus it will be seen, referring to Fig. 1, that as the cam lobe 24 approaches the roller 28 there is a tendency not only to lift the rocker arm but to move it towards the right, the cam shaft 23 turning in the direction of the arrow thereon. Then as the cam lobe passes the roller and the roller starts to roll down on the opposite side of the lobe, there is a tendency for the rocker arm 25 to be moved bodily to the left, this being due to the pressure of the spring I8 bearing downwardly on the rocker arm. Thus there is a constant bodily shift of the rocker arm from right to left and back. The purpose of this Vibratory movement will appear below.

The rod 35 extends eccentrically through the bearing member 31, the opening therefor appearing at 39, particularly in Fig. 6 so that with the parts in the position shown in Fig. l, if the bearing member 31 is turned to the right about the pin 35, the axis of the bearing member 31 and consequently the axis about which the rocker arm 25 rocks, will be moved downwardly and consequently clearance will be decreased between the cam shaft and the' valve stem. A reverse movement would increase the clearance.

For thus adjusting the axis about which the rocker arm 25 rocks, and hence adjusting the clearance, a cam member 49 is provided. This cam member is shown in the form of a disk 4|, the periphery 42 of which is in the form of an involute with relation to a pin 43 which extends laterally from one face of the disk. This pin 43 fits a longitudinal opening 44 parallel to the opening 39 in the bearing member 31 as shown in the several Views. The disk 4| is also formed with an arcuate slot 45 so that when the pin 43 is inserted in the bearing member 31 the rod or pin 35 may extend through this slot 45 and support the bearing member 31 without interfering with the operation of the cam member.

n the various Views,` except Fig. 6, the cam member 40 is shown in position with its disk 4| forming a bearing for one end of the bearing member 31 and with its pin 43 extending into the opening 44 in the bearing member 31. This latter opening 44 is eccentrically arranged relative to the parallel opening 39 and as shown is also eccentrically arranged relative to the axis of the bearing member 31. Thus, if the pin 43 is moved upwardly or downwardly, thus rotating the bearingmember 31 about the axis of its supporting pin 35, the axis of the bearing member 31 will also be raised or lowered and consequently the rocker arm will decrease or increase the clearance as above explained. The cam face 42 is the means through which this raising and lowering of the pin 43 is effected.

With the parts assembled as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cam face 42 bears against a hardened block 46 which is a rigid element preferably secured to the casing 33 as shown by the screws 41. A coiled 'spring 48 surrounds a portion of the supported end 36 of the rocker arm and has one of its ends secured to the rocker arm as shown at 49 and its other end secured to the cam disk 4| as shown at 50. Ihe spring thus tends to rotate the cam disk 4| about its pivot pin 43 and, as shown particularly in Fig. 1, this yielding rotation of the cam disk 4| in a clockwise direction will tend to press the pin 43 downwardly and thus rotate the bearing member 31 about the pin 35. This moves the axis of the bearing member 31 downwardly and consequently the rocker arm 25 takes up the clearance between the cam shaft and the valve stem until the laction of the light spring 48 is stopped by the much heavier spring I8. This obtains zero clearance between the cam shaft and the valve stem 23.

But if by reason of a change in temperature of the various engine parts there is a tendency of the valve I5 to ridej that is, a non-seating of the valve due to the clearance having been taken up too much, the cam 4| must be forced in an anti-clockwise direction against the action of its spring 43. This cannot be done by mere pressure alone. That is, the pressure of the spring I8 against the outer end of the rocker arm 25 cannot force the cam 4| backwardly without some denite movement of the rocker arm 25. This definite movement is supplied by the loose mounting of the rocker arm on its supporting pin 35 as above described so that if there is a tendency of the valve to ride, the bodily movement of the rocker arm as it is operated by the cam shaft will vibrate the cam 4| on its rigid seat 46 and cause the cam toretract against the action of its spring 48 due to the upward pressure on its pin 43 through the spring I8 acting against the opposite end of the rocker arm with the cam shaft as a fulcrum intermediate the ends of the rocker arm.

In Fig. 2 two of the rocker arms are shown as mounted side by side on a single rod or pin 35 which extends through the bearing members 31 of both of the rocker arms. Spacing washers 53 are arranged betwen the-rocker arms and between the cam disks and the adjacent casing. In a multi-cylinder engine there may be a series of these pairs of rocker arms all mounted in a single casing and the rocker arms may be assembled in the casing and then assembled on the crank case as a unit.

While I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention, which I deem to be new and advantageous and may specically claim, I do not desire it to be understood that my invention is limited to the exact details of the construction, as it will b-e apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a supporting pin, a bearing member eccentrically mounted on said pin, a rocker arm mounted on said bearing member, a second pin passing into the bearing member within the periphery thereof, and a yieldingly operated adjusting member connected directly to said second pin for adjusting said bearing member on its support.

2. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a rocker arm, a bearing member for therocker arm, a supporting pin extending eccentrically through the bearing member, a second pin passing into the bearing member parallel to the supporting pin, and means connected to said second pin for adjusting said bearing member relative to its support.

3. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination with a valve, a cam shaft, and a rocker arm operating between the valve and the cam` shaft, of a support, a' bearing member upon which the rocker arm is mounted to rock, means for supporting said bearing member on the support so that the bearingmember may be adjusted to effect clearance take-up between the valve and cam shaft and so that there may be slight movement lengthwise of the rocker arm,l and a cam operating on a non-yielding surface and between the rocker arm and the support and adapted to adjust the rocker arm bearing member for clearance take-up and to retract to prevent valve riding. l

4. In an engine valve mechanism, the combination with a cam shaft, a rocker arm having a part operating in contact with a cam on said shaft and a part for operating a valve, and a valve operated by said rocker arm, of a support for said cam shaft, a-bearing member for said rocker arm, said rocker arm being mounted to rock on said bearing member, a pin on said support extending through said bearing member with such clearance that the bearing member and with it the rocker arm may move bodily in addition ,to its. rocking action` as the rocker arm is operated by the cam, and a cam device connected to said bearing member and operating on a non-yielding surface on said support for adjusting the rbearing member for clearance take-up between the cam shaft and the valve.

5, In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a rocker arm, a bearing member therefor, a supporting pin passing eccentrically through the bearing member, a second pin passing into the bearing member,.and a cam connected to said second pin and operating yield-.

inglyto turn the bearing member on the supporting pin, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a rocker arm, a bearing member therefor, a supporting pin passing eccentrically through the bearing member, a second pin passing into the bearing member, avcam connected to said second pin, and a spring connected to said cam tending to turn the bearing member on the supporting pin.

7. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a cylindrical bearing member, a rocker arm mounted on said bearing member, two pins extending into said bearing member within the periphery thereof, one of said pins being eccentric to and forming a `support for the bearing member, and means-connected to the other pin for adjusting said bearing member relative to its support.

8. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a cylindrical bearing member, a rocker arm mounted on said bearing member, two pins extending into said bearing member within the periphery thereof, one of said pins being eccentric to and forming a support for the bearing member, and means directly connectedto the other said pin and bearing upon a support for adjusting said bearing member relative to its support.

9. In an engine valve mechanism, the combination with a cam shaft, a rocker arm having a part operating in contact with a cam on said cam shaft and a part for operating a valve, and a valve operated by said rocker arm, of a support for said cam shaft, means for mounting said rocker arm on said support, said mounting means including structure` about which the rocker arm may rock as the rocker arm is moved by the cam shaft to operate the valve, said mounting means including structure with such clearances that the rocker arm may have a slight bodily movement as the side thrust of the camV operates against the rocker arm, and said mounting means including structure which supports the rocker arm for adjustment with relation to the valve and cam shaft ,to thereby vary the clearance between the valveand the cam shaft, means comprising a non-yielding surface, and cam means connected with said rocker arm mounting and operating on said surface to adjust said rocking axis during the operation of the mechanism.

v l0. In an engine valve mechanism, the combinaticn .with a cam shaft, a rocker arm having a part operating in contact with a cam on said cam shaft and a part for operating a valve, and

a yvalve operated by said rocker arm, of a supy on said surface and connected to adjust the rocking axis of the rocking arm during the operation of the mechanism, h

ll. In a valve take-up mechanism, the combination of a valve operating member, a support, means for mounting said valve operating member on said support to provide for its'normal movement in operating the valve, said mounting means providing such clearance thatthe valve operating member may vibrate, in addition to its normalv movement, in operating the valve, means for moving said member to operate the valve and for -causing translatory movement of said member, a spring actuated cam for changing the position of said member tov take up clearance, and means including a surface against which said cam operates for guiding the bodily movement of said member, the bodily movement of said member operating to assist the action of the cam in the operation of the valve mechanism.

WALTER R. GRISWOLD.y 

